Download the app. Use the app to reserve at a restaurant. Dine. Earn a $15 gift card from Amazon, Starbucks, or Uber.
That’s the elevator pitch for the Seated program that is new, and it’s a pretty compelling one. Obviously, when you dig into the details, things prove to be a little more complex.
Among conditions and the Seated terms:
- To qualify for the card, there should be two or more people dining. Foods, not drinks must be ordered by both parties.
- The same restaurant may only be booked after during any 30-day period.
- Participating restaurants are now located in only 15 cities: New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, D.C, Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, Houston, Austin, Denver, and Seattle.
- Participating restaurants are high-end. Don’t expect to find a gift card to get a meal that is $ 12.
- Booking instances are restricted. Rewards may be offered for late or early seatings.
- As loyalty monies go, gift cards are among the least desirable. Too frequently they go rancid.
From a company perspective, limitations and the requirements make perfect sense. The service is intended to do, and also to help company increases during off-peak times. That means that consumers have to be prepared to make some compromises in exchange for the rewards.
Whether a gift card leaves those compromises worthwhile is the question.
Reader Reality Check
Is a gift card worth the compromises?